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Patented Nnv. 29, i898. F. M. LECHNEFL BALL BEARING.

(Application mod lnx. E, 1898.)

(No Modal.)

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WITNESSES:

' ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. LEOHNER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO VILLIAM V. BAKER, OF SAME PLACE.

BALL-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,070, dated November 29, 1898. Applicationiiled March 5, 1898. Serial No. 672,794. (No model.)

To all 1077/0717, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. LECHNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oolumbus, in the county of Franklin and Statev of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ball-Bearings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of ball-bearings, and has particular relation to that class of ball-bearings adapted for use in connection with vehicle-spindles, although the same may be employed for other purposes.

The objects of my invention are to provide an improved construction of independent bearing-ball-holding cages, to provide improved means for inserting and retaining the balls within said cages, to provide improved means for the adjustment of the balls within the bearing, and to produce other improvements which will be more speciiically pointed out hereinafter. These objectsIaccomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a central longitudinal section of the spindle-boxing and ball-cages therein, the spindle being shown in elevation; and Fig. 2 is a face view of one of said ball-cages.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout both views.

ct represents the boxing which I employ about the spindle, said boxing being of a general cylindrical form and having an enlarged inner end portion a' and outer end portion a2. Vithin the enlargement a' I provide an internal shoulder b and within the enlargement a2 a similar shoulder b.

Each of the ball-holding cages,which I elnploy in the manner hereinafter described, is constructed as follows: c represents an internal ring or cage section, on the periphery of which is formed a contin nous raceway or ballgroove c. This ring c is surrounded or encircled at a distance therefrom by an external ring or cage section d, the latter being provided on its inner surface with a raceway or groove d. As indicated in the drawings, the bearing-balls e are adapted to bear and run in said raceways and between said ringsections c and d. In order to insert the balls into the raceways and between the ring-sections, I have provided the outer ring-section d on its inner surface and on one side thereof with an inlet notch or recess f, which is preferably in the arc of a circle shown, and on the corresponding side and in the outer surface or periphery of the inner ring c I have pro- Videdasimilar recess f'. When the rings are so turned that these recesses are opposite each other, it is obvious that said recesses, in conjunction with the space between the rings, may provide an opening suiicient for the insertion within the raceways of the balls e one at a time.

In the construction of the spindle g, upon which the ball-cages herein described are adapted to be elnployed, I provide the usual inner peripheral shoulder' g at the junction of the spindle and axle body, and on the outer side of this shoulder at a suitable distance therefrom I provide said spindle with a threaded portion, (indicated at g2.) The boxing a is adapted to have screwed into the end of the inner end enlargement d a ringplug h,while a similar plug h is adapted to be screwed into the outer enlarged end portion a? of the boxing.

In mounting the ball-cages on the spindle the ring-plug h is first slipped over onto the axle-body or its shoulder g. The ball cage or cages which are adapted to be employed about the inner end of the spindle are then slipped onto the spindle until the inner ring c of the inner cage abuts against the spindleshoulder g'. In case two of said cages are to be used about said inner spindle end the second cage is similarly slipped onto the spindle until its inner ring-section abuts against the inner ring-section of the iirst cage. Prior to the placing of said second cage, however, I slip over the spindle a separating-ring i, which is adapted, as shown, to be retained between the balls of the two cages. This separatingring, however, may only be used when two cages are employed, and where two adjoining cages are thusemployed those sides of the cages in which the recesses ff are formed are made to adjoin each other.

This

The cages being being accomplished, the boxing a may now be slipped over the spindle until its internal shoulder b is in contact with the outer ring CZ of the second ball-cage. The rin g-plug h may now be screwed into the inner end of the boxing enlargement until it is in contact with the outer ring (Z of the lirst cage.

The outer cage, or that ball-cage which is employed about the outer end of the spindle, is constructed in the manner hereinbefore described, with the exception that the outer ring CZ of said cage is externally threaded to admit of its being screwed into the outer internally-threaded portion of the boxing enlargement CIP until said outer ring abuts against the shoulder b and the inner ring c abuts against a shoulder g3 of the spindie. This outer ball-cage is so inserted within the boxing as to bring its ball-inlet recesses fand 2o f on the outer side, and in order to prevent anypossibility of the balls or any one of them escaping through said recesses by reason of the cage-rings becoming so turned as to bring said recesses opposite each other I have formed the outer spindle-nut n, which screws upon the outer threaded end of the spindle after the insertion of said cage, with a shallow inturned iiange, which is indicated at o, said flange projecting over the outer side of the inner cage-ring c. This being accomplished, the outer cap-nut 7L is screwed into the boxing end until it abuts against the outer cage-ring d.

In case but one of the ball-cages is employed in the inner end of the boxing it is obvious that the nut 7tmay be provided with the flan ge projection o shown on the nut u.

From the construction which I have dcscribed it will be seen that the ball-cages are formed entirely independent of each other and that by so turning the inner and outer rings of each cage as to bring the recesses f and f' out of alinement with each other said cages may be produced and handled prior to their connection with the spindle without danger of the balls escaping therefrom.

In case the frictional contact of the balls with the raceway surfaces should result in undesirable wear or throw the balls on said surfaces it is obvious that an inward adjusting movement may be imparted to the inner rings 0E the ball-cages by turning up the nuts 7c and n. An adjustment of the outer cagesection d in the opposite direction from that above described may be elteeted by temporarily removing the cap-nut 71, and turning outward the outer ring d the desired distance. An adjustment in a similar direction of the outer rings of the inner cages may likewise be effected by turning inward the ringlug 71.. It will thus be seen that not only are superior means provided for the construction and arrangement of the ball supporting cages, but that the sections forming the cages may be adjusted in opposite directions to compensate for wear.

IIaving now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a ball-bearing, a ball-cage consisting of an outer and an inner ring-section, there being a continuous groove or raceway on the inner face of the outer section, a similar groove or raceway on the outer face of the inner section, and recesses fand f formed in corresponding faces of said outer and inner sections, said recesses adapted to be brought opposite each other and balls between said ring-sections, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a ball-bearing, the combination with a spindle, and boxing about the same and a shoulder on said spindle, of a ball-holding cage consisting of an outer and an inner ringsection, there being oppositely-located raceways in said sections and recesses as described in said ring-sections, said ball-cage adapted to surround said spindle and bear against said shoulder, balls between the ringsections and a nut adapted to screw onto said spindle and abut against said inner ring-section, said nut having an inturned ilange o thereon adapted to project within the space between said ring-sections, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a ball-bearing, the combination with a spindle, there being a shoulder g' and a threaded portion g2 on said spindle, a boxing surrounding said spindle having an enlarged inner end portion and an internal shoulder in said boxing enlargement, of a pair of ballholding cages mounted on said spindle, the inner cage abutting against said shoulder g' and each of said cages consisting of an outer and an inner ring-section having oppositelylocated raceways, balls in said raceways there being ball-inlet recesses ff formed as described in said ring-sections, a separatingring t' between the balls of said cages, a nut 7c on said spindle-threaded portion and aringplug 7L adjustably engaging with the inner end of the boxing, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

FRANCIS M. LECHNER.

In presence of- C. C. SHEPHERD, EDWARD M. TAYLOR.

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